Filling Machine with Pivotable Bottle Support and Filling Under-Counter Pressure or Without Counter-Pressure

ABSTRACT

A universal valve for aseptic filling of drinking liquids in which a fork is articulated on a fulcrum to allow a bottle inclination during a lifting operation to optimize an aseptic filling process of carbonated drinking liquids by reducing their turbulence.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

The present invention refers to the technological field of fillingvalves. Specifically, it refers to the aseptic filling of drinkingliquids.

International classification of reference: B67 c.

STATE OF THE ART

In the prior patent literature the WO 2005/003018 application standsout. Such application features a valve for the aseptic filling of flatdrinking liquids. In said document the state of the art is described asfollows: it is known that for the aseptic bottling of drinking liquids apressurized filling chamber with sterile gas is used.

At the current state of the art, it is now possible to ensure completesterility of the gas flows employed, but not the complete sterility ofthe environment inside said pressurized chamber.

It is of course evident that the filling chamber, before beingsterilized, is occupied by the outside atmosphere, whose presence isgradually reduced with injection of sterile gas flows. The presence ofatmospheric residuals cannot be completely removed without employingfull vacuum conditions. Said system does now ensure the asepticity ofthe area between the exit mouth of the sterile product and the mouth ofthe container to be filled. In said zone, the flow of drinking liquidcomes into touch with outside atmosphere, and the level of asepticity ofthe process decreases.

Furthermore, at the end of the filling process, the neck-space of thefilled container is occupied by the atmospheric content of the fillingchamber that generally includes a considerable percentage of oxygen.Said residual oxygen, inside the final package, causes undesiredoxidation effects that alter the organoleptic of the drinking products.

The invention object of the application WO 2005/003018 suggests anoptimal solution to guarantee the aseptic filling even in the criticalzone included between the mouth of the container and the filling valveexit mouth of the product. It is exactly in said critical area that aspecial continuous flow of sterile gas is needed to protect the productentering each container. Furthermore, the continuous flow of inert andsterile gas minimizes the amount of oxygen in the neck space of thefilled container. The filling valve described in WO 2005/003018 hasgiven excellent results for the aseptic bottling of flat drinkingliquids.

The problem to be solved is the bottling of carbonated liquids whenusing the same filling valve. The solution proposed in the presentinvention is the design of a universal valve that would allow theaseptic bottling of flat liquids as well as the aseptic bottling ofcarbonated liquids.

The great practical benefit of this invention is quite evident: itallows considerable savings in the purchase and running costs ofbottling plants and also reduces the filler overall dimensions since asingle machine can perform filling of both flat and carbonated liquids.

DESCRIPTION

The invention is now disclosed with reference to the pictures of thedrawings attached as an unrestricted example.

Pictures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 point out the state of the art publishedin the international patent WO 2005/003018.

Picture 8 shows schematically the vertical positioning of a bottle 3held by the fork 1 in horizontal position located by the filling valve Vfor the aseptic filling of flat liquids. We can notice the flow ofsterile air that comes out of the valve and surrounds the neck of thebottle keeping it isolated from the atmosphere. The fork 1, articulatedon the fulcrum 2, is kept in horizontal position by the fixedcontrasting element 4 below. The lifting equipment 9 is kept in a lowerposition by the contrast spring 8.

Picture 9 shows the beginning of the aseptic filling phase of the flatliquid coming out the valve V and entering the bottle 3. The flow ofsterile gas surrounds coaxially the liquid coming from the valve, thuskeeping the liquid isolated from the atmosphere. It should also bepointed out that by increasing the filling level of the liquid insidethe bottle 3, its gas content is freely discharged outside.

Picture 10 shows the final phase of the aseptic filling operation: theflow of sterile gas has prevented the direct contact with the outsideatmosphere throughout the entire filling process of the flat liquid.

Picture 11 shows the same valve V with the same gripping fork 1 still inhorizontal position holding a different bottle 3′ in vertical positionthat needs to be filled with a different process of aseptic bottling ofcarbonated drinking liquid.

Picture 12 shows the lifting phase of the bottle by the fork 1, which,being freely articulated on fulcrum 2, takes an oblique position becauseof its own weight. It should be observed that the limit to the forkinclination is given by the rear fixed contrast element 7. Still in saidpicture 12 it can be noticed that the gripping fork 1 lifts the bottle3′ by means of the lifting equipment 9 specifically designed to performvertical excursions on its fixed guide 10.

Picture 13 highlights the beginning of carbonated liquids bottlinginside the bottle 3′ in inclined position. The ring of the bottle 3′,lifted in inclined position, is placed against the lower oblique surface6 of the hermetic sealing ring 5 to allow the preliminary entry of aprocess gas such as carbon dioxide fed through the special coaxialconduit of the filling valve. The shutter of the liquid is closed andonly carbon dioxide enters the inclined bottle 3′.

In the following picture 14 while the liquid gets in contact with theinner part of the inclined bottle 3′, in order to reduce the turbulenceduring filling, the air and the carbon dioxide 12 are discharged throughthe same duct through which the carbon dioxide was let in.

Picture 15 shows the conclusion of the bottling operation.

The clearness of the picture highlights the production and simplefunctioning of the valve that is the object of the present invention. Itshould be pointed out that the inventive core of the present inventionis the articulation fulcrum 2 that allows the inclination of the bottle3′ during the filling of drinking carbonated liquids.

The inclined position that the bottle 3′ takes by gravity is exploitedto lower the turbulence during filling. The liquid fed by the valve Vgets in touch with the inner surface of the inclined bottle 3′, and itslaminar flow reduces the turbulence of the bottling process ofcarbonated liquids.

In pictures 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 each single detail is markedas follows:

-   -   1 indicates the gripping fork of the bottles.    -   2 indicates the fulcrum allowing the inclination of the fork and        therefore the inclination of the lifted bottles.    -   3 indicates a bottle to be filled aseptically with flat liquids.    -   3′ indicates a bottle to be filled aseptically with carbonated        liquids employing the same filling valve.    -   4 indicates a fixed contrasting element that keeps the fork in        horizontal position, and hence the bottle in vertical position        during the filling of flat liquids.    -   5 indicates a hermetic sealing ring applied on the valve V.    -   6 indicates the lower surface of said sealing ring to guarantee        the hermetic conditions during the bottling of carbonated        liquids.    -   7 indicates the fixed rear contrast element that limits the        obliquity of the fork and defines the inclined position of the        bottle during the filling process of carbonated liquids.    -   8 indicates a contrast spring that keeps in lowered position the        lifting equipment of the gripping fork 1.    -   9 indicates the lifting equipment of the fork 1.    -   10 indicates the fixed guide for vertical sliding of said        lifting equipment 8.    -   11 indicates a flat liquid.    -   11′ indicates a carbonated liquid.    -   12 indicates the snifting during the bottling of carbonated        liquids through the same duct fit for carbon dioxide entry.    -   V is a valve for the aseptic bottling.    -   R indicates the rotating filling machine of bottling plant set        up peripherally with a plurality of aseptic filling valves for        both flat and carbonated liquids.

The invention of course allows several variations both in terms ofdimensioning and structural proportioning of the various components, andof the technological choices of the materials used in the manufacturingprocess.

Any technician skilled in this technological field, now that theinventive combinations have been disclosed, will be able to realizewithout effort valves for the aseptic bottling of carbonated or flatliquids having the same original design and functional characteristicsas the ones described, shown and claimed by the present invention.

1-4. (canceled)
 5. An apparatus for usage in a bottle filling machinecomprising: a universal valve for aseptic filling of flat and carbonatedrinking liquids into bottles; and a gripping fork configured to be keptin a horizontal position resting on a lower fixed contrast element toensure a vertical position of the bottle, if a flat drinking liquid isbottled, the fork further configured to be articulated on a fulcrum toallow inclination of the bottle during a lifting operation foroptimizing an aseptic filling process, if a carbonated drinking liquidis bottled, by reducing turbulences of the liquids.
 6. The apparatus ofclaim 5, wherein the valve comprises a sealing ring including a lowersurface with a pre-set obliquity that defines exact inclination of thebottle to optimize the aseptic filling process of carbonated liquids byreducing the turbulence thereof.
 7. The apparatus of claim 5, furthercomprising a rear fixed contrast element limiting the inclination of thegripping fork and defining limits of the obliquity of the lifted bottle.8. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a lifting equipmentincluding a projection that includes the fulcrum.
 9. The apparatus ofclaim 8, wherein the lifting equipment comprises the rear fixed contrastelement, which is shaped to project towards the fork.
 10. The apparatusof claim 5, further comprising a vertical guide along which the liftingequipment slides, the vertical guide coupling the lower fixed contrastelement to the bottle filling machine.
 11. A bottle filling machinecomprising: a valve; and an apparatus of claim
 5. 12. A method foraseptic filling flat or carbonated drinking liquids into bottles,comprising: providing a rotating filling machine including a universalvalve, a gripping fork for holding bottles beneath the valve during abottling process, a lifting equipment, and a lower fixed contrastelement; keeping the fork with a gripped bottle in a horizontal positionresting on the lower fixed contrast element to ensure the verticalposition of the bottle if the bottle is filled with a flat drinkingliquid; and articulating the fork with a gripped bottle on a fulcrum toallow the bottle to be inclined during a lifting operation foroptimizing an aseptic filling process, if a carbonated drinking liquidis filled into the bottle.